You Owe Me
by eestah bunni
Summary: Lucy feels depressed after another loss against the enemy in the Grand Magic Tournament. To clear her head, she decides to take a walk while her teammates are out. However, the last thing she expected was to meet Sting Eucliffe of Sabertooth and find herself trapped inside an enchanted forest...The Forest of Dreams. After being saved by Sting, Lucy now owes him? What will happen!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! My first fan-fic ever, I'm so excited! Anyway, a little bit of background about me. I'm in my mid teens and I've been a fan of Fairy Tail ever since episode 8 came out. I know right, it's been a long time. Anyway, I only just adopted this love of Sticy recently after reading a bunch of fanfics on them. They're just so adorable 3. My heart goes out to those fanfiction writers who inspired me to write this. Although I probably won't build my career based off this, I've always loved writing stories and it'd be great to have some support. Yoroshiku! (by the way, I study Japanese at school. I'm still learning though ehehe). Enjoy the chapter!**

**Summary:** Lucy feels depressed after another loss against the enemy in the Grand Magic Tournament. To clear her head, she decides to take a walk while her teammates are out. However, the last thing she expected was to meet Sting Eucliffe of Sabertooth and find herself trapped inside an enchanted forest...The Forest of Dreams. After being saved by Sting, Lucy now owes him? What will happen?!

**Chapter 1: The Unexpected**

**Normal POV:**

"Aaargh!" screamed Lucy as Minerva continuously blasted her with painful attacks. "Hahaha, stupid Fairy. You can never beat Sabertooth!" Minerva snickered, grabbing Lucy's collar and admiring the damage done to the blond mage's body. Soon afterwards Lucy passed out and Minerva, growing tired of the pointless battle, dropped Lucy to the ground. "LUCY!" Natsu and Gray yelled, running out to catch her.

Her body was limp and she was covered in blood and bruises. Her breathing was uneven; she had probably gained some broken bones. Scratch that. She _definitely_ had some broken bones. "Lucy, hang in there! We'll get Wendy and patch you up. You'll be fine, I promise," Natsu said confidently, picking Lucy up bridal style and carrying her back to the guild's allocated room. "And the winner is Sabertooth!" the announcer shouted, and the crowd erupted into cheers. "Tch," Natsu hissed, before looking back down at his injured nakama. _Lucy_, he thought.

Back at the FT contestants' room, Lucy was on the bed sleeping while Natsu paced around the room. "I should kill them for what they did to Lucy! They deserve to die!" Natsu said through gritted teeth, his whole body glowing with heat. "I know how you feel, but you have to calm down Natsu," Gray consulted, looking back at Lucy's condition. "For now, where is Wendy?" Right on cue, a little blue haired girl appeared from behind the opened door and ran towards Lucy. "Oh no, Lucy-san," Wendy said, trying hard to conceal her tears. She began healing straight away.

Ten minutes later, Wendy stopped using her healing magic and turned towards the other members. "She'll be okay, but she needs her rest." They nodded and went outside one by one; Gray, Elfman, Happy, Lisanna, Erza, Charle and Wendy. Natsu was about to follow, but paused to turn around and take another look at the sleeping beauty behind him. _I couldn't protect you again. I'm sorry,_ Natsu thought. He then walked outside to join the others, closing the door behind him.

*one hour later*

**Lucy POV:**

I was all alone when I woke up. I noticed all the small bandages wrapped on my body and dried blood staining my clothes. _That Minerva lady really didn't go easy on me_, I thought. I tried to sit up straight when a massive pain shot through my head. _I've been lying still for too long. I should walk around a bit_. I slid out from under the warm blankets and stepped onto the cold wooden floor. After changing into clothes that didn't make me look like someone from WWII, I opened the door and stepped outside to the cool breeze. _It's chilly. Lucky I brought my jacket._

I walked up a small hill to get away from the street lamps that were dimming the view of the cloudless night. I lay down on the soft grass before staring up at the thousands of stars above me."Beautiful, aren't they, mama." I sucked in a deep breath and took in every sound, every sight; all things around me. I closed my eyes. Every sound was in sync with each other; they blended and mixed to make a symphony of nature, until my thoughts were interrupted by loud footsteps. "If it wasn't for that blond hair of yours, you'd be a footpath right now," said a deep voice. I smacked my eyes open. _Sting Eucliffe?!_

**And that's it for chapter 1! Before you say anything, I just have to say sorry if I dragged the story a little bit. I have a habit of being too detailed which is probably why I always go over the word limit for assignments ;P anyway, I know there's no romance yet, but I had a need to set the scene between the two. Also, I know in the manga Sting laughed at Lucy like a big meanie (boo) but for the sake of the story let's assume he didn't laugh and he was just another misunderstood character. You'll have to wait till chapter 2 comes out, but I'll try my best to get it done quickly so I don't slack off like I normally do haha :P I don't really have a set schedule, but I'll try to release at least a chapter a week. Please review, I'd love to hear everyone's opinion and feel free to share any ideas you have. I will take them into consideration. Also, I don't mind receiving any constructive criticism because I feel the need to always improve (yes, I am a bit of a perfectionist). Anyway, thanks for reading! Matta ne, minna! 3**


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh no, exams! D: Sorry guys, I might have to update later than expected next week. Exams are coming up soon and I'll need some time off to study, but other than that, I'll still stick to my 'update once a week' thing. Oh, and I posted this chapter early because I actually finished half of it yesterday ehe. Thank you to everyone who read my story and reviewed. I will make the chapters longer I promise! I wasn't really sure of the word limit at first, so please understand. Anyway this chapter is almost twice as long so I hope that's okay =) Enjoy reading! Oh, by the way, according to the guidelines on the site, ****my next chapter is rated M****, so be prepared!**

**Oh, and I forgot the disclaimer last time! D: So I'm disclaiming now for this and the previous chapter.**

**Disclaimer:**** Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima and I am just his humble fan with ideas for his awesome characters :D**

**Previously:** _Every sound was in sync with each other; they blended and mixed to make a symphony of nature, until my thoughts were interrupted by loud footsteps. "If it wasn't for that blond hair of yours, you'd be a footpath right now," said a deep voice. I smacked my eyes open. Sting Eucliffe?!_

**Chapter 2: Into the Enchanted Forest**

**Normal POV:**

_Sting Eucliffe?! No way, this is bad! I have to run!_ Lucy thought. She jumped up and ran full speed into the forest, away from the city and that bastard Sting. "Hey!" he yelled. _Tch, damnit,_ Sting thought. "Blondie, don't go that way! There are monsters in the forest!" he warned, but Lucy was too busy running and containing the urge to crouch down and clutch her painful body that she didn't even hear him talking. _Damn, it's getting worse! _Lucy thought.

**Lucy POV:**

No longer able to bear the pain, I slowed down slightly. _Damnit, I can't see properly!_ I was at my limits. Epically, I stumbled over a large log and face-planted into the ground. _I just needed another injury!_ I silently cursed to myself, sitting up and trying to examine the damage on my knees with what little vision and lighting the forest gave. Seeing only small scratches, I felt her face for any sign of blood. I smiled when I realised I was more okay than I first thought. My relief was short-lived; suddenly replaced with horror as I looked around me. _Oh no, where am I?!_

**Normal POV:**

"Oi blondie! You still alive?!" Sting yelled, pissed that the girl had run off into the forest after he had warned her about monsters, and they weren't the easy-to-beat kind either. He sighed while walking aimlessly through the forest. _Why am I even looking for this girl? I warned her about the forest but she still recklessly ran into it. Man, she runs fast for an injured person, _he thought. _Whatever, why does it matter if she dies or not. It's not like I have a responsibility to this chick._ Stopping to consider this thought, he frowned. Did it really not matter to him whether or not she died? Sure, it was her fault for getting herself into this mess, but it wasn't like Sting had anything against the girl. _Still, why does she seem so familiar?_ Sting dismissed the matter as a simple case of curiosity. _It's nothing more_, he thought.

Still deep in thought, the silence around Sting was interrupted by rustling bushes nearby. Sting focused his hearing. The last thing he wanted was to get touched by one of the filthy monsters in the forest.

The rustling became louder and louder until it was right in front of him. _Geez, this monster really isn't good at being stealthy. _Sting's hand was now alight with a bright shine, seemingly as bright as the Sun in the darkness of the forest. He took his fighting stance; small droplets of sweat forming on his brow. The bushes parted into two and Sting saw what, or rather, who it was. The blond female mage untangled herself from the tall sharp shrub and fell to her knees on the leafy ground. "I-I made it!" she squealed rolling around on the ground, laughing. Sting stared at her blankly for a good 15 seconds before interrupting her 'ROFL' session. _Seriously? I risked being defiled by demons for THIS?! _

Sting was now pissed. An angry mark appeared on the side of his head as he yelled, "DON'T SCREW WITH ME! What the hell do you think you're doing after running into a forest full of demons?! Do you want to die?!" Lucy turned to look at him. Her eyes were wide with shock. Sting glared at her for three long seconds before suddenly softening up, rethinking what he had just said. "S-sorry, that was a little bit harsh," he said, looking away. He looked back at her awkwardly and flinched when he saw tears pooling in her eyes.

Sting's Biggest Weaknesses List:

Number 1: …?

Number 2: …?

Number 3: A maiden's tears

"O-oi, d-don't cry! Please don't cry! I-I'm sorry okay?" Sting stuttered, panicking at the sight of the gorgeous blonde in front of him. Not knowing what to do, he walked swiftly up to the girl and embraced her with a long, warm hug. "Gomen ne…I didn't mean to yell at you," Sting whispered, his cheeks slightly red.

**Lucy POV:**

My eyes widened. _H-huh?! Why is Sting hugging me?! He's part of Sabertooth, one of the bad guys! He's dangerous…and yet, I feel so safe in his arms…wait what?! I did not just think that! What is wrong with me?!_ "U-um, sorry…but could you please release me?" I pleaded, not entirely convinced that I wanted him to let go. "S-sorry," Sting replied, slowly and gently unwrapping his arms from me. _He has a really toned body…no way! I did not just think that! Stop thinking about it Lucy! _I argued to myself. There was an awkward silence as a blush made its way to my cheeks. I looked over at Sting again, who was standing awkwardly with his back facing me. I couldn't see his face, but I could tell he was also blushing as his face was slightly red after he let me go. I giggled silently. "Ne Sting-kun, I'm sorry for asking this but…where are we?"

**Sting POV:**

I was deep in thought after the hug. _Man, she was really soft. She had such big boobs too…_ I blushed at the thought. It's not like I was that kind of guy, but I was still a guy, so thinking that way would be justified right? I felt her gaze on my back as I nervously scratched my head. _Man, girls are such a pain._ My thoughts were interrupted by her angelic voice. "Ne Sting-kun, I'm sorry for asking this but…where are we?" _K-kawaii_, I thought when I looked back to see her sitting cross-legged with her hands in front of her and looking away, blushing madly. _Keep your cool, keep your cool._ "Umm, well as I was saying before you ran away, this forest is full of monsters; more precisely, demons."

**Normal POV:**

Lucy looked horrified to hear that, as if her life had suddenly ended. Still, Sting decided to continue. "This forest is enchanted; no one who knows of the legend ever comes here," Sting said. "W-what legend?" The girl asked, obviously terrified. Sting knew it wasn't the right time or place, but he chuckled slightly at the horror-stricken blond. _She looks fun to tease_, Sting thought while smiling to himself.

"There is a legend about how the monsters of this place came to be," Sting began, silently thanking Kami that his voice was no longer stuttering and that he had calmed down considerably. "It happened hundreds of years ago, when a little girl named Ella disappeared mysteriously one snowy winter night. Apparently, she was walking the streets of the town alone and she was taken and raped by a grotesque man before he pierced a blade through her skull. He then chopped her body up into portions and threw her into a well, where she was discovered by an innocent townsperson the next day. The whole town grieved for her tragic death and she received a proper funeral and send-off. However, her soul was tormented by the horrid way in which she died and she got taken over by an evil force so strong that it took no less than ten extremely powerful mages and their lives to seal it away."

Lucy's eyes widened as she was struck with an epiphany. "The Ten Wizard Saints," she gulped. Sting nodded. "Yeah, the first bunch of them," he replied, then continued his story. "The evil has since been trapped away in the earth, but the magic power emanating from the stadium where the Magic Games are held is distorting the seal on the evil, causing some of the miasma to seep out and infect the animals here. That's why I tried to warn you of the dangers before you ran in here," Sting said, turning to face Lucy. "This forest is known as the Forest of Dreams because it messes with your five senses. About the only thing you can trust is your gut and your sixth sense, if you have one. Being mages, we're more resistant against the negative energy, but staying here for too long can cloud your mind, so it's best if we leave now."

**Lucy POV:**

I was still processing everything Sting had said before he walked over to me and held out his hand. I gladly took it, smiling at him. _Even though he's from Sabertooth, he seems like a nice guy. Maybe I misunderstood him_, I thought. I smiled as we walked hand in hand towards a clearance ahead another 200 metres. _His hand is so warm_.

**End of chapter 2! By the way, I felt extremely disturbed writing about the part about the psycho guy raping and killing that girl *shudders*. I have been watching too many horror movies. I was actually writing that part last night but stopped when I realised it was night time and I actually got really creeped out. Instead, I finished writing that when I got home today so I didn't feel like the chick was gonna come find me and…yeah…drag me into a well or something O.o Whut. Anyway, thanks again everyone who supported my work and don't forget to review! Luv yuhz!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi people! :D As I told you all in the previous chapter, this chapter is considered M by the site's guidelines, but personally, I think it's still T. It's not sexual… No lemon or anything, so yeah…You'll survive hehe. I'm actually more into the cute stuff anyway ^_^ I kind of rushed this chapter, so sorry if there are any mistakes. Here's chapter 3!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Please support the official release of Hiro Mashima's work =)**

**Previously:**

**Lucy POV:**

_I was still processing everything Sting had said before he walked over to me and held out his hand. I gladly took it, smiling at him. Even though he's from Sabertooth, he seems like a nice guy. Maybe I misunderstood him, Lucy thought. She smiled as they walked hand in hand towards a clearance ahead another 200 metres. His hand is so warm…_

**Chapter 3: Processing and Progressing **

**Normal POV:**

There was a comfortable silence as Sting and Lucy walked together. The only sounds were the soft leaves and twigs compressing and decompressing beneath their feet. Lucy's opinion of Sting had changed dramatically and she actually found herself feeling bothered about not being able to be near him after this. With the seemingly fake bad impression that Sting gave at first, if Lucy were to hang around Sting, of course people would talk. They would probably think she was being manipulated by him…At least, that's what her guild would say.

_She has a nice scent. I know that scent from somewhere…she also smells faintly like Natsu…why_? thought Sting. "Oh yeah, could you tell me your name? Sorry, I feel like I've seen you somewhere before, but my memory's getting fuzzy…" Sting began, using the forest as an excuse for not being able to recall her face. Lucy, who was following close behind Sting smiled at him as he looked back at her. _He has sexy eyes…not the right time or place Lucy!_ She argued inwardly. "It's Lu-," but before she could finish, her shoulder was pushed with a strong force and she fell to the ground, hurting her leg in the process. For a second, Lucy was stunned, not knowing what had just happened. One blink later, Lucy had fixed her eyes on a certain blond haired dragon slayer with claw marks lining his abs. "Sting!" she cried.

**Lucy POV:**

The seconds passed like minutes as I sat frozen unable to move from shock. _They're fighting so fast; I can't keep up with their movements, so why does everything feel like it's moving so slow? _It seemed like the darkness was starting to get to me while I was distracted by the fight. When I realised this, I knew I had to do something before the darkness started affecting Sting too. I watched in horror as Sting struggled to keep his game against a shadowed furry beast. I looked at the beast, then back at Sting who was clearly on the defensive._ Stand up, Lucy!_ I was about to lift myself up when I was stopped by a serious and loud tone accompanied with a face full of worry. "Don't you DARE think of helping me, blondie! And don't move until I say to!" Sting growled. I instantly froze. My eyes met his eyes and saw them filled with concern. I could feel them screaming out to me…I couldn't bear watching Sting take on the beast alone! _Shit! If only I had my keys!_

**Normal POV:**

Sting was panting furiously and occasionally reaching down to clutch his painful wound. Suddenly out of nowhere, more shadowed figures appeared behind the one which had hurt Sting. Lucy gathered her strength and stood up, ignoring the stabbing pain in her leg. Sting could not be more clueless about what she was going to do. _Please…please let this work!_ Lucy thought. "O-oi!" Sting yelled. But Lucy continued to walk towards Sting, her head lowered and magical power slowing pouring out from her body. When she got to where Sting was, her body was glowing with light. "I'm going to borrow some of your magical power," she whispered. She grabbed Sting's collar and pulled him towards her, their lips meeting for the first time.

Sting stared wide-eyed at the blond beauty kissing him, then eventually, accepted it and kissed her back. His body was tingling with electricity. It travelled up and down his spine as one of his hands involuntarily slid down her back, resting around her waist, while the other held her hand in his. The kiss grew more intense. The light surrounding Lucy had now joined with the light surrounding Sting and their lips moved in sync as it got brighter and brighter. Lucy and Sting kissed harder, deeper. They almost forgot they were in the middle of a battle. There was a bright flash… then everything went black.

*?*

**Sting POV:**

I opened my eyes to a bright blue sky sprinkled with white wads of fluffy material. _No real cloud could possibly look that fake_, I thought. I sat up, noticing the cloud beneath me. I went to touch the cloud, but my fingers slid right through it. _So, I'm actually floating_. When I looked above me, I saw the same sky, so I walked to where the edge of the cloud was and looked down; nothing but more sky and more fake clouds. _Where the hell am I? _I looked around again. There was no way to tell which direction I was facing or where I was supposed to go. I tried closing my eyes to see if I could sense anything. "Sting," I heard a soft voice say. I snapped my eyes open and stood up, searching for the source of the voice. "Sorry, I didn't give you much warning as to what I was going to do, but the thing is I need your help. Please, perform a unison raid with me on this spell…I can't do it alone." I looked up and saw something white and flowing standing upside-down on the cloud nearest to me. _The gravity here is messed up too_, I thought. The blonde female was wearing a magnificent white straight corset dress made of silk. The dress flowed in slow motion, as if the girl were underwater. "I know this is probably a lot to take in, but I'll explain everything after we've made it out of here alive, I promise. For now, please help me," she pleaded.

**Normal POV:**

Sting was staring at the goddess before him. Then, her dress started to shimmer and bits floated off into the endless sky. His jaw dropped comically. If this was a dream, then it was the best dream he had ever had. Lucy noticed the blonde boy staring at her and blushed. "W-what?" she stuttered, not noticing her situation. Sting blushed madly and looked away. "It's…distracting," he said, covering his mouth. Lucy looked down and saw what he meant…Her dress was disappearing! She jumped down to where Sting was and pressed herself against him. "D-don't you dare look down!" she commanded.

Things were moving too fast for Sting to process. _What is happening…why is this happening….how is this happening?!_ Although he didn't really understand, Sting had to admit he was enjoying this…a lot. Despite what his appearance suggested, it was the first time the naive boy had been this close to a girl. It was the first time a girl had appealed to him this much…since _her_. _What the hell am I supposed to do in this situation?!_ He mentally screamed in frustration. "I…I'll help you. W-what did you need me to do?" he asked. Lucy blushed harder and cleared her throat, then began talking again nervously. "W-well, since this spell is really long and complicated, we need to be connected through both mind and body…so I need another…k-kiss," she said, almost whispering the last word. There was silence for a few seconds before Lucy thought to consider how Sting might feel uncomfortable doing that. "I-if you never want to see me again after this, then I won't bother you…so just this one ti-." Sting lifted her chin and mashed his lips on hers, slowly and passionately, but only for a short few seconds.

Sting pulled away from the kiss with Lucy and looked at her. "I won't let you go that easily," he smirked. Lucy smiled. Lucy and Sting embraced each other and shared a very…_thorough_ kiss. Who knows how long that one had lasted?

*Back to real world*

Lucy and Sting pulled away from their kiss. They entwined one of their hands together, and held it up towards the enemy. Sting was holding Lucy's waist and Lucy was holding his shoulder, resembling the waltz position. The blushes and playfulness on their faces were replaced with serious looks as they faced the demons and began chanting together:

"_Measure heaven, open heaven. Make unto my body as to shine with the radiance of the countless stars. Tetra Biblos, I am the ruler of the stars. Aspect, cast open the gate of perfect malevolence. The 88 Stars of the Heavens. Shine! Urano Meteoria!"_

**End of chapter 3! Oh, and I think an explanation is in order. First of all, I know they don't have to kiss to perform a unison raid, but let's assume that to share a long, ancient spell like that, they need to use physical touch to convey it; sort of like how Hibiki first conveyed the spell to Lucy, but that was part of Hibiki's power and Lucy didn't have that ability, so she had to do it differently. Anyway, with Sting those 'download' boxes didn't appear because if you're connected through body and spirit, the spell becomes stronger and it is conveyed better, faster and more accurately. It may have seemed longer to go about the whole "Inner World" (shall I name it that?) thing but again, let's assume that times flows differently in the depths of our minds. You never know, maybe it does…that could be why we have déjà vu O.o **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! :D By the way, if you want to watch that epic episode where Lucy beats the crap out of that Angel chick with the spell it's episode 58. I re-watched the end to make sure I wrote the spell right. I was so pumped while watching that; Lucy is awesome! XD Thanks to all of you who have been reading my story. I really appreciate the support and feedback. Also please review and if you have any questions just ask me and I will answer them in my notes next chapter. Bai bai! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey people! It's been a while…a very long and very unpleasant week of studying T^T I actually found that I spent more of my time writing my story than doing schoolwork. It's just so distracting :P oh well, school's over now! Anyway back on topic, as I'm sure most of you have noticed, my way of writing is pretty progressive…It's my particular style of writing. I don't like the stories I write to progress too slowly but if they are too fast, I usually lose interest in them more easily so please be patient =) Hope this chapter is to your liking.**

**Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima is awesome and Fairy Tail is the result of this awesomeness. I just mix things up a bit ehehe ;)**

**Previously:** The blushes and playfulness on their faces were replaced with serious looks as they faced the demons and began chanting together:

"_Measure heaven, open heaven. Make unto my body as to shine with the radiance of the countless stars. Tetra Biblos, I am the ruler of the stars. Aspect, cast open the gate of perfect malevolence. The 88 Stars of the Heavens. Shine! Urano Meteoria!"_

**Chapter 4: Remembering the Past**

**Normal POV:**

For Sting, the next few seconds after the chanting made him feel ecstatic. In those short moments when the attack was launched, his own soul was joined with Lucy's. One could not explain the overwhelming joy of this effect. For a few mere seconds, everything felt so perfect for him. His burdens, his heartbreaks, absolutely everything was lifted from his mind. His memory had been wiped clean from him and he was floating in an empty space. Everything around him went black.

Sting found himself standing on a crystal black surface. When regaining the memories back which he had lost, it didn't slow down to match the rate at which he could process things. It was like experiencing every single emotion all at once; happiness, pain, sadness, confusion, anger, anxiety, lust, guilt, loneliness, regret … Sting dropped to his knees and clutched his head. "N-no! Stop it! MAKE IT STOP!" he screamed, shaking his head. Boredom, excitement, hatred, pity, courage, distrust, embarrassment, fear, shock, jealously… "A…A…ARGH!" Sting was in so much pain. He pulled on his hair. He was sweating profusely. He had his head on the scorch black floor beneath him …Curiosity, hope, hostility, arousal, gratitude, shame, interest, love…and the emotions coming back to Sting after that became less intense. The whole experience had made him realise just how strong emotions could be. Every emotion, feeling it for the first time feels extreme, but this was just incredible. He recalled one of the more pleasurable emotions. _What kind of emotion was that? It made my heart stop for a millisecond and I couldn't think straight, but I was extremely happy…Weird… _

He looked into his reflection against the acrylic black surface beneath him. Then he saw it; the face of the girl who he didn't know the name of and had only known for a short few months in the past. She was absolutely beautiful; a vision of hope and sincerity. She had hair flowing down to her mid-waist; they were like delicately woven golden strings of spiders' webs. She sparkled with a radiance so bright even Sting was no match for her.

It all started outside a small market stall ten years ago…

*Flashback *

**Sting POV:**

"Hey kid! No stealing from my stall! You better give that back or I'll make you work for me for weeks!" the shop keeper yelled while grabbing the back of my collar. Back then, I lived in the slums; the poorest parts of town. _This guy needs some mouthwash!_ I thought. I struggled and strained my body to loosen his grip, but to my disappointment, it only made the man grip tighter. "Let me go you mean old man!" I struggled more and eventually the man let go, amused that I had hurt myself in the fall. "Don't let me see you back here kid," he spat. Angered, I ran up and kicked him in the shin before grabbing a bag of rice and running off. "Why, you little-! Get back here!" I ran as fast as I could, but the bag of rice was heavy and I was starting to lose speed. I looked back at the man but ran into someone in the process. It was a girl about twice my height with the shiniest, golden hair I had ever seen. I stared at her in wonder for a few moments before remembering my situation. "I'm sorry!" I said, bowing before picking up the bag and running again.

**Normal POV:**

The bag limited Sting's line of sight. He felt his foot catch onto something and landed face first into the hot, hard gravel. The man had caught up to him; there was no escape. Sting sat frozen in his place horrified at the cold eyes staring at his. The man lifted an arm and Sting flinched, waiting for the impact. He heard a huge crack which made him jump slightly. To his surprise, he didn't feel any pain. He opened my eyes to see the same girl who he had run into before. She was holding a whip in her hands and facing the shop keeper who was now lying defencelessly on the ground. "You there," she said in a stern voice, pointing her index finger at the man, who flinched babyishly. "What do you think you're doing to that kid? I hope you have a good explanation for this." The man got up abruptly, still shaking and said, "That little shit over there attacked me and stole from my shop! He needs to be taught a lesson!" The girl looked back at Sting and stared for a few seconds. _He looks really skinny. He's wearing nothing but rags too, _the girl thought. Sting was confused. The girl who was staring at him looked like she was deep in thought. She turned away again to face the old man. "How much?" She asked. The old man looked at her and tilted his head. "What exactly do you mean by that?" he asked. The girl sighed. "How much for a bag of rice and treatment for your wounds? I'll cover the expenses." The people around gasped and whispered among themselves. The girl sighed again and walked over to the old man. She placed a small sachet in his hands and turned around again in the direction of Sting. "That should be more than enough. Don't bother this kid anymore, got it?" she said, lifting Sting up by the arm and brushing the dust off his clothes. The shop keeper bowed and left and other people around left as well.

Lucy looked at the little boy and gave him a warm smile. "Now, could you tell me your name little one?" Sting looked at the girl in surprise and started to tear up. It was the first time someone had shown him kindness like this since his dragon parent. "It's Sting. My name is Sting," he said. "That's quite a name," she giggled. "My name is …."

*Flashback ends*

**Sting POV:**

_I couldn't remember her name_. I opened my eyes and I was back in the forest. The blonde girl was on the ground unconscious and looking _very_ defenceless. I gulped and went to pick her up. I slid one of my arms around her back and the other under her knees. _I can't just leave her here. She's hurt and she could get attacked again,_ I thought. I cautiously lifted her up and examined her face. _She looks a lot like that girl from ten years ago…but surely that girl would be in her 20s by now_. I shrugged it off and turned back to look at the damage done by the spell. I smirked. The trees had all been knocked down for at least half a kilometre in the appointed direction. _She's strong…very strong. But she also had my help._ I turned around again to face the clearance leading back to the city. I stepped cautiously to avoid falling on any branches or stepping into holes on the ground.

As I reached the clearing, I remembered that I still hadn't found out the name of the girl in my arms. _She smells like strawberries, and maybe vanilla. That's totally unrelated to the issue here! _I shook my head in an attempt to clear my mind. _What am I going to do with her? I can't leave her out here in the open. It's dangerous for a girl to be out at this time of night, especially a pretty, defenceless one. _I sighed realising I only really had one option; I had to bring her to my dorm. _It'll be troublesome if I'm caught…I could just leave her at a hotel and pay her expenses, but then I probably won't see her for a while and she still has some explaining to do. _

**Normal POV:**

While Sting was thinking over what to do with the girl, he didn't notice her eyes flutter open and stare at his oblivious face. When Sting looked down at her and noticed her staring, he couldn't stop himself from turning a little red in the cheeks. Lucy was the same…only redder. "So you're finally awake," Sting started, trying to remain composed. Lucy slid out of his arms and landed gently on the ground, avoiding stepping with her left leg. "Sorry, I didn't think the spell would have such effects. While I was still awake you looked like you were in pain…then I fell unconscious. Anyway, are you okay?" asked Lucy in a sweet voice. "Yeah, I'm fine. Regaining my memories felt really extreme, but other than that, I was okay," Sting said, smiling. Lucy's eyes widened. "Wait. You…you lost your memories?" Lucy asked, horrified. Sting looked at her with confused eyes. "Yeah, for a second, but I got them back…so?" Lucy grabbed Sting's hands and closed her eyes. A small glow was visible between their palms for a second, and then it disappeared. Lucy sighed in relief. "Thank kami, you still have your magic powers." Sting frowned. "What do you mean by that?" Lucy turned away. "With great power comes great sacrifice…ever heard of that?" Lucy looked back at Sting to see his eyes staring attentively at hers. "Because that spell wasn't originally mine, it uses up a lot of magical power. The more power there is, the stronger the spell becomes…but the magic is greedy. The more magical power there is to be offered, the higher the risk of it being taken…do you understand so far?" "Yeah…but I don't see how that's anything to worry about. The spell work-," "Don't you get it?! YOU ALMOST DIED!" Lucy looked away, her bangs covering her eyes and hands shaking. "You know as well as I do that a mage's magical power is their life force. When you lost your memories, you were in the space between life and death. You were lucky to survive and you're extremely lucky to still have your powers…They're usually lost more easily than memories in that dimension."

Lucy's voice was shaking with distress and she flopped on the ground, lifting her hand to her face. "I almost killed you…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Sting," Lucy managed, sobbing and wiping her tears. Footsteps approached Lucy which made her look up. She was surprised to see Sting's face only inches from hers, moving her hands only to wipe her tears with his thumb. Sting shone a bright smile at her. "It's okay. Don't cry anymore. There's nothing we can do about the past, and nothing bad happened anyway, so it doesn't really matter." Sting held Lucy's face in his hands. "Now, I didn't catch your name. Would you mind telling me?" Between her crooked sobs and tears, Lucy smiled saying, "It's Lucy. Lucy Heartfelia."

**Sooo, what did you all think? I know, Sting as a child was a little bit helpless (too cute) in this chapter and as some of you may have noticed, he didn't use his dragon slayer powers. This is not a mistake. The flashback goes for longer and it explains why he couldn't use his powers at the time, so be patient and keep guessing ;) adding mystery adds imagination and that means creativity! …wow, I sound like my art teacher :P anyhow, leave a review coz I love getting feedback to know what you guys think! Thank you all for supporting me so much and I will make sure to release faster from now on! Well, faster than this week's update anyway :D see ya!**


End file.
